Well not much to report all day today. I've done the usual chores, I've had the fire going all day since it's been cold, damp, miserable outside and I've been looking for things to do all day. I've read, played Angry Birds, made two new flower pots out of an empty olive tina and a coffee tin. I bought some thick string / thin rope and wound it round and it looks very attractive. I've got enough to make another one out of a coffee tin and this could be a gift for one of my buddies.

The primulas went outside to have a good soaking and the intention was to get out there with the watering can but there was no need as the heavens opened and it's still raining now. Just a few photos today and from the inside. My new amaryllis which was a birthday pressie from the Librarian has put on a couple of inches overnight, the hyacinth bulb that I bought on Wednesday complete with potting compost and flower pot appears to like its new home and the freesias have at last put a couple of flower heads up but it's too dark to photograph it where it is and too heavy to lift it into the light.

So this afternoon I made a chicken curry that turned out really well and went down equally as well, The kitchen is in need of love and attention but I think that can wait for tomorrow...I settled in for the indoor athletics while the curry was cooking but was disappointed that there only seemed to be football on Filmon this afternoon and now it's completely gone to pot with the EU programme with the latest news and view. Let's just hope that there's a better turn when the election takes place.

So PC off, back to my book and the rest of the box of chocolates which has in fact taken a bashing today. There's such a lot I want to do in the garden and the little house but the mood dissipates when the weather is so rubbish...LN....I'm going to switch off and get my place in front of the fire...LN

Seven this morning and the sun was very close to surfacing...and I slept through all night which is a first for ages...Yesssss. I managed a couple of boiled eggs for breakfast with soldier, cleared up the debris and the pots and pans from last night, cleaned the build up of soot from the woodburner and gave it a good spring clean. It's just precautionary...it's really been behaving itself lately.

Up on to the PC to do my emails and FB and there was a knock on my door and Remsie was there. I haven't seen her much lately since she was kicked by a cow and spent a few days in hospital but she came to tell me that she blacked out briefly this morning and I suggested that she went to the doctors. I offered to take her but she said that she would go in in the morning since it's market day and she can get what she needs. Now my conversations are not very long in my limited Bulgarian but we manage OK until she forgets that I'm English and then she takes off and I have to remind her...sitcho bavno, bavno...everything slowly...and then I'm fine. She stayed for about three quarters of an hour and then was off to see to the cows and the donkey.

At this point I decided that it was time to get washed and dressed. Out to the yard to top up the log basket and I also grabbed by gardening spade and fork since it looked a good day to get out there and get rid of some of the weeds. I tackled the long flowerbed under the wall and the little lone between the sets of steps taking care with the bulbs that are now showing. I moved on to the garden at the base of my tree and cleared the old stuff out. I cleared one section of the veg garden but by this point I was feeling a little cold despite having an extra sweater on and I didn't want to go down with another chill. I came in for lunch making sandwiches of smoked salmon and cream cheese, got the Kindle out and promptly fell asleep for a couple of hours. I lit the fire when I woke up, concentrated very hard on limiting myself to one or four chocolates remaining in the box without success.....

Collected up the tools and watched a gentle sunset, the moon is up already up and is verging on the 'full' and is partly hidden by scudding clouds tonight. The temperature is dropping but it should stay above freezing. So I don't need supper....I've done pretty well with my late lunch sandwiches, the fire is chugging along nicely and warm as toast in my little abode. LN....Nothing on my agenda for tomorrow, nothing pressing, nice state to be in....LN

Seven this morning and it's getting better...another good night. The pre-dawn sky was beautiful and could my eye as soon as I got out of bed so it was out with the camera but then I missed the sunrise...I was too busy making coffee and it seemed to happen very quickly. The mist was hanging over the mountains and especially over the new road to Greece along the river but it eventually all burnt off and it's been a beautiful day even though the wind had got an edge to it.

Cornflakes for breakfast and then on with an extra sweater and the hat and out with the fork and spade. I managed to dig over the six other small vege beds and so now there's only one to go and then it is ready for planting. I've also managed to do one more of the flower beds and then the fun began. I decided to get the strimmer out and trim round the vegetable garden edging. I found the strimmer but the hunt was now on for the battery. I checked the shelf allocated for 'gardening' on the shelving rack in the workshop but to no avail and eventually after searching all of the workshop I headed into the little house and found it with the rest of the gardening stuff that had been removed from the pallet shelving by the front door. I gave it a try and the battery was fully charged so it's had its first run for this year. I came in for lunch and had spread cheese on toast and my telephone went and it was Gouldjan wishing me a belated happy birthday and letting me know that she was back but unfortunately. someone had gone off with her suitcase and she was left with some old lady clothes and tomatoes....She'd bought new clothes for herself and guess where they were...well it was anybody's guess but eventually it was discovered that it had been taken off at Krumelgrad and would be in Kardjali at four thirty this afternoon so of course I offered. I picked her up at four fifteen, we picked up the suitcase, checked out Kaufland and dropped her off just before six. Driving back I spotted the moon tonight ...it was so orange but by the time I got home a lot of the colour had faded but I shall be looking out for it tomorrow...

In Kaufland I'd bought two spare rib chops and the lady suggested that I had different ones with a sauce already added. I explained that I had my own secret recipe and I'd be using it tonight. I sliced up potatoes, covered them with oil and a little salt and put them in the oven with the chops......I'm stuffed and I only ate one of the chops.

So tomorrow I'm off to the Librarians and we're heading firstly for the market in her nearest town and then on to Zlatograd to check out the meat shop. LN....I'm sure we'll find somewhere for lunch.....LN

What another good night's sleep...just before seven this morning when I came to and the dream was so good that I didn't want to come out of it. Coffee, took a couple of shots of the morning and then on to the PC to get the 'work' done.....

Washed, dressed and cornflakes munched but eight. My painter came round about eight thirty and wanted me to hang on to see one of his friends that was going to help him with some of the jobs that need to be done but I really didn't have the time this morning. I was off to visit the Librarian and we were off to the market. She was waiting at the motel so off we went, we did the market but I bought nothing, into one of the dinky-do shops and picked up a few photos of town art and then back into the Beast and over to Zlatograd. We sat in an open air restaurant and had coffee, I paid a visit to the loo and the door got stuck and I had a slight panic on but I pulled at the handle and eventually it opened. There was no lock on the inside so goodness knows how it got stuck. We walked the town and bought some buckets for plants, I found a super computer shop with the best selection of Brother printers I'd seen and I was ruing the fact that I'd already bought one. The Librarian bought some mince meat from our super butchers but I've still got about two kilos left and then down to the river for lunch.

The restaurant again was open air but the food was a little disappointing but adequate and on the way back we stopped and watched a fisherman catching his breakfast. Back to her house and I set up her printer again since the scanner didn't work and stopped off at Mrs D of S's on the way back to see how her work was progressing. Again we sat out in the sun with our coffee until we were both starting with icicles so I was back in the Beast, home...fire and waited for the moon to come up so that I could take some photos.....

No supper for me...lunch is sitting very heavily. Nine my time so time to post pictures and then down to book and fire. LN....really pleasant day in good company and nothing to do tomorrow...so far...LN

Pretty drab morning and no chance of seeing the sunrise. There were a few spots of rain then it seemed to blow over but forever threatening. Washed dressed and ready for my cornflakes but I'd read an article yesterday that for those that have chocolate cake for breakfast the calorie and weight loss is greater so today I took a photograph of my 'balanced' diet and sent if off to Mr D or S for a giggle.

Out to the garden and dug out my pomegranate tree that is about to burst forth. There is so much grass and so many weeds, mainly clover which is good for nitrogen but lousy for crowding out the real plants and grabbing the nutrients. I also managed to find a small forsythia and spiraea that again had been swamped. I dug out another of the flower beds but it all got too much about one when the temperature dropped so I came in, went to make a coffee and realised that the electricity was off so lit the gas ring on the cooker so back to basics with matches. I had a visit from one of my neighbours and asking me for something of which I have no idea. She explained that she wanted a black cream...she had a thorn wedged down her nail from the bush that everybody uses to keep cows out of gardens. The only thing I came up with was Sudocreme...my standby so I told her to go home, put it in hot water with some salt in it and gave her my tweezers to try and grab the end.

Off she went, the electricity came back on, went off again and came on again and I lit the fire. I'd tidied out the workshop this morning to make it easier to get at the wood so I'd got a good load in and chopped lots of starter stuff. Settled in reading this afternoon...it was too cold to go out again and it started raining and tomorrow is another day.

Supper was the cold sweet and sour pork chop and I'm now munching on a packet of biscuits...I like these diets. LN....television off, I've remembered to adjust the time on the boiler timer and now it's going on...I'm about to linger in the bath but without the Kindle....LN

Woke up at five for a toilet break but decided instead of getting my book out and reading I'd try to get a few more zzzeds in and I did. Second time of waking was just before seven. The sun looked like it might make an appearance but it was an unfulfilled promise. It didn't manage to get over the clouds until around lunchtime and rained for most of the morning. I legged it down to the bread van this morning...the two uncut that I'd got in were now masquerading as potential building blocks so it was time to invest another eighty stotinki for a fresh one. Two rather thick slices, fresh butter and apricot jam...now what could be nicer and all this while reading my book and sipping coffee in front of the fire that I'd got going since it felt cold and damp and it was pleasant to look at.

So when it stopped raining I grabbed the rubbish from the house and the wheelbarrow from the garage and cleared out the burning pit to get the bonfire going. Everything was so damp but I eventually got there. I carried on clearing the flower beds and got to the point where I was doing bits in all of them and eventually they should all be done. I was down the bottom and Remsie came into the garden and down to me and the other day we were talking about one of the villages that she wanted to visit. She asked me if I would take her there at five tonight because her granddaughter whose husband works in Belgium, had come home with her great grandchild.... I don't normally do chauffeur work that late at night but thought I could tie it in with a visit to Mrs D of S so off I went to pick her up. She had her fourteen year old grandson with her and I complemented him on his man perfume that was really strong.

So I dropped them off stopping at a little shop along the way so that she could buy her visiting goodies. I went back to Mrs D of S's and was surprised with a helping of spag. bol with pasta. I'd arranged to pick up my passengers at seven so I set off at ten to seven and parked up but Remsie came out and invited me in and I refused the invitation because it would stretch the evening out even longer. I'd taken my kindle and sat out in the road reading and they eventually appeared at seven thirty and we were home just before eight. Fire was still going so I perked it up to give the house a boost, just made it for Eggheads and soon it will be time to hit the sack.

I'm out tomorrow for supper at my student's house...life's all go. Rain is forecast for tomorrow so it will be another day of stretching out with my kindle and a fire...what a life...LN....Time to enjoy that fire...LN

Five start this morning and not really sure why. I had a an issue with a dog barking its little head off last night as I was reading my book. I shoved on the outside light and there it was...brown and white with its tail held high and owning the garden so I shouted at it in Bulgarian and Turkish and off it went and ten minutes later it's back and sitting as proud as Punch on the terrace as if it had found its new kingdom. Again I shouted for it to leave but it was having none of it so I headed up to my balcony and lobbed over one of the very loud banger and off it shot. It came into the bottom of the garden this morning but didn't venture anywhere near the house and so far tonight...nothing....May be it got the message...this is a dog free zone.

Fire going this morning, wood in and mended the gate. It appears it's gone rotten at the bottom, the final rail was dragging on the floor so it's now held together with wire and it seems to be holding out OK.....I think major joinery repairs are needed or a new metal gate that will give me no problems at all for the next ten years or so. I planted up the new polyanthus, two in the garden and the other four into window type boxes and then headed for the sofa and a book. I managed to read until two ish but then there was very little energy left to I stretched out, removed my glasses and eventually came to at about four thirty. I had a good stretch and got myself organised and it was over to my student's house for supper and a chat and at ten I was back home and thanking them on the internet for a lovely evening and for my birthday present. They have to know that I've safely traversed the forest and that I haven't got eaten by a bear.

Lovely moon tonight even though it'son the wain and there appears to be bits missing. It's pretty cold though and I was grateful that the fire was still going and with a little encouragement it's sprung to life. I only have a couple of pictures today...this morning's attempt and this evenings final glow. It has been good in the middle but that wind was cold and went straight through you if you were out there long enough. So it's goodnight from me....Saturday tomorrow and nothing to do and nowhere to go...LN....what a nice thought...LN

So it was a silly night last night. I managed to catch the Judi Dench-Steve Coogan -Philomena...how delightful and beautifully acted. So that was me after midnight and after yesterday's sleep I wasn't really ready to get my head down and it was four in the morning before I put my light out. The good news was that I had nothing to do today so with a blank canvas I managed to get quite a lot of gardening done. Beans on toast for breakfast and the other half of the can will do with some mince for tonight.

I'd kept the fire going all night and since it was a dull morning I was pleased that I had. I put an extras sweater on before I went out with my trusty fork but as I dug up this year's seeded poppies to transfer them to other flower beds I was beginning to get a little hot around the polo neck. The sun had broken through eventually and it was hot, hot, hot so I moved one of the benches that had been stored in the little house and moved it onto the lounge terrace, got my Kindle and a couple of cushions and stretched out in the sun. I took off the polo neck over jumper but ended up putting it round the back of my neck...that wind was chill. I stuck it out until three thirty when the clouds started to build so the cushions came in, the bench was moved under my bedroom balcony, the little house locked up and it was a quick stoke up job again.

A little bit of Brain Training and used the mince that I'd got out of the freezer this morning, fried it off with an onion and the beans, into a pie dish with it and I put sliced potatoes on top of it and it was ready for the oven just when the rugby was about to start, One more visitor, Haciber brought me round some stuffed vine leaves and I hadn't realised that it had started raining so I told her to get along home.

Watched the rugby...well fought England....so it's time to get the washing up done to leave a tidy kitchen for the morning. No sunset tonight but there were lovely pink rising clouds over Greece....really strange....and then thy brought the rain. LN....a little more Filmon and then an early night...LN

Just after seven start and the usual cloud base that eventually burnt itself off and up it came. I had a very lazy morning taking my book back to bed and tearing myself from it at nine thirty. I'd popped out to make coffee and popped back in again...it was very unusual for me. There was no fire to light since it had the makings of a good day and I was proved right in my decision.

I moved round the house opening windows to get some air circulating....it tends to hold the smell of the wood burner which is great in the winter but as spring takes hold you need to clean out the house. Breakfast was bacon bits and onion fried off and I added a couple of eggs to make an omelette. I topped it off with cheese and it turned out fine but I must remember not to add any more salt to the mix....the bacon bits were quite salty so before I use them next time they'll need soaking in water for a while or just not to add any more salt to the mix.

I made it outside and did some more clearing. I dug out some huge stones from under the new wall to the right looking down the garden which is necessary before I start planting it up next month. I'm going to put some hollyhocks and sunflowers under the wall to add some colour to the greenery. I filled the wheelbarrow with grass and clover from the little workshop bed but I gave up after an hour or so. I'm much better at creating gardens than doing the maintenance...I just hate weeding. I returned Haciber's dish from last night and had cake and Fanta forced on to me even though I told her I hadn't long had breakfast. She told me that she had a problem with her home phone and I worked out that for some reason it was locked despite the fact that she has no outstanding bills.....I asked her for her number and I intended to phone it to see if she could receive calls but she didn't know it....bless.

Came in from the garden at three thirty and lit the fire....there was a chill in the air despite the sun. I shut the door, got the Kindle out and the eyelids headed southwards and about an hour later they headed northwards. I think it was the fresh air that did it....Made a coffee and managed to catch celebrity Pointless and the jackpot remains intact. Eight my time and the sky's clear and the sky is filled with stars...there is so little light pollution here. It's a Waning Gibbous moon and not due to rise until midnight tonight so I'll probably miss it unless I have problems nodding off....

So busy day tomorrow....catching up on legals and taxes....LN...it's good to get the yearly things out of the way...LN

Happy Leap Year...I wonder how many men have gone into hiding until it's all over.....

A seven o'clock murky start for me with the mist hanging over the river and the new road to Greece. I grabbed a coffee and went back to bed after taking a photo of the fairytale view and the moon still up. I was putting off the shower and hair wash and timing it to perfection or so I thought...and I more or less did. I'd left a note on Gouldjan's FB last night to see if she wanted a lift into Djebel this morning and had to phone her since she hadn't responded. As it turned out she couldn't get away before nine so she went in on the bus. As it turned out I only managed to pick up one hitch hiker this morning who offered to pay me the statutory two lev bus fare which I obviously refused...I was going in anyway,

So got there by eight forty five and waited for Mrs' D of S to come in from her village. We'd arranged to meet up so that I could help her with her immigration documents and we thought that we'd got it all sussed. Wrong...her house documents didn't show the house number in the format that they wanted it so all the ducks weren't in the row and she has to go back to her Kmet for confirmation. We did get her other documents translated though and set the wheels in motion with the bank and she'll complete next week...hoops and having to jump through them. We did a couple of the charity shop but not at Monday's prices...we'll wait until the weekend....We went to the post office and posted some seeds to Princess' school deputy head for the children to have a bit of a competition with sunflowers and make pretty up the school. As we were leaving the Bank car-park, there was a man trying to get out of his parking space and I saw where he was heading so I stood in front of mine. He went forward and moved back into a gap and I heard a crunch as yes...he'd caved in the back door of the car next to mine. I pointed it out to the car-park attendant...the man got out and looked at the damage but there was no note left on the damaged car....I'd done my bit....the attendant hopefully did his. We moved on to Kaufland for a few top-ups, hot dog and chips for lunch from the Kaufland diner, over to Billa for parsnip seeds which had curiously been labelled up as Parsley and finished off in Lidl for butter and biscuits.

We drove into Momchilgrad and I paid my back taxes on my house on the hillside so that's one thing out of the way, picked up some fuel and the attendant asked me if I spoke French and we had quite a conversation. Apparently he'd lived there for seven years and then back to Mrs D of S's for a coffee and then home James...

Lit the fire to get the house warm for this evening....I've put chicken in the over and I really should go down and have a look at it...and it's fine and there should be enough left to make some soup tomorrow...It's time I did a return favour for Haciber....LN.....Supper and sofa...LN